Fishermen enjoying a sunny day on the water had a close call with this gigantic humpback which breached repeatedly north of Mindarie on Saturday.

Deon Visagie was fishing at the Gemini Wreck, about 9km off the coast, about 1pm when his wife, Tanja, snapped spectacular photographs of the giant, which appeared to scare the daylights out of people on a nearby 8m Leisure Cat.

“It was quite amazing,” Mr Visagie said. “I’d say the whale was about three times the size of their boat.

“We saw the people get a bit drenched and start running around the boat.

“If a whale of that size had landed on them it could have been quite serious.

“I am sure they will remember the moment for a while.”

Just minutes later the whale breached again, just metres from a tinnie.

“I think it could have flattened the boat and everyone on it, there would have been some serious damage,” Mr Visagie said.

“Whales were breaching around us continuously.”

Mr Visagie said he and his wife, who had been cruising in a 10m Proline, felt heady but mixed feelings of excitement and fear when they saw the pod of whales move in their direction.